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“An investigation will be carried out on both people in Belarus. This is out of the question. I told this to the president of Russia. I assured them that there will be no question about access to consuls. It seems to me that they are not angry. We do not just provide information: he wants to meet us, meet. This is an international practice, “Lukashenko said at a meeting with the state apparatus on cooperation with Russia.
His words were quoted by the state news agency BelTA.
Lukashenko sparked international outrage by ordering on May 23 to send a fighter jet to intercept a Ryanair passenger cruise ship from Athens to Vilnius, which was blown up by opposition blogger R. Pratasevicius and his friend, a Russian citizen studying in Vilnius. , S. Sapega. When the plane landed in Minsk, they were both detained.
R. Pratasevičius, 26, one of the founders of the opposition information channel Nexta, was included in the list of “persons involved in terrorist activities” by the Minsk regime last year. The channel itself was declared “extremist” and ordered to be blocked.
A. Pratasevičius is accused of organizing mass riots. You can be sentenced to up to 15 years in prison for this.
Sapega was previously reported to have been arrested on suspicion of committing crimes in August and September 2020, as defined in various articles of the Belarusian Penal Code. Minsk has published a video in which Sapega says he has edited the Telegram channel “Belarusian Black Book”, which publishes data on the country’s security forces.
Lukashenko said Tuesday that “the arrest of two Ryanair passengers, of course, had been discussed during talks with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Sochi, but the presidents had given him little time.”
As a result of the liner’s forced landing, the European Union states closed their airspace to Belarusian planes and asked the airlines to stop flying over the country.
Russia to supply modern weapons to Belarus
Moscow is preparing to supply modern weapons to Minsk, Belarusian autocratic leader Aliaksandr Lukashenko told local media on Tuesday.
“Russia will supply Belarus with modern weapons. The president spoke about this during a meeting on Belarus-Russia cooperation, commenting on the talks in Sochi. [su rusų prezidentu Vladimiru Putinu] results. According to Aliaksandr Lukashenko, one of the issues was cooperation in the military-industrial complex, including the supply of modern weapons to Belarus. Under what conditions this will be done remains to be decided, “said Belarus Segodnia.
Mr. Lukashenko stressed that during the talks “there was no mention of the permanent transfer of the Russian armed forces or the establishment of bases.”
“It is not necessary according to the concept of military security of our State of the Union.” If there are any concerns, we will see an escalation of NATO, including a military conflict: Russian units and troops will be deployed in Belarus during the day (we have bases , aerodromes, etc.) “, he said.
The head of state reiterated that such a step would be taken only after the escalation of military tensions.
“These villains in the West have no right to blame us for the bases of Russia, China or anyone else. What are we to blame for? It is deploying and establishing bases in Poland. They don’t notice the log in their eyes and they are strangling us in every possible way: “Oh, Belarus is becoming a country where foreign forces are deployed …” Look at yourself, “Lukashenko said.
He instructed his officials, along with his colleagues in Russia, to decide which modern weapons Belarus needs first.
Belarus will receive the second tranche of the loan from Russia in June
Belarusian authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko said that Russian President Vladimir Putin had assured him that the second tranche of Russia’s state loan to Belarus, according to an agreement reached late last year, was 500 million. The US dollar equivalent in Russian rubles will be transferred this month.
“The Russian president, when I left, told me: I must remind you that you will receive the second tranche of the previously agreed billion dollar loan in June,” Lukashenko said on Tuesday, presenting the results of his meeting with Putin last weekend. . in Sochi.
A. Lukashenko is quoted by the state publication “SB. Belarus Segodnia ”.
This agreement was signed on December 21, 2020. The first loan of 500 million. Belarus received a share of the US dollar in Russian rubles on December 30 last year.
